A grand afternoon of tea and talk at Seguine Mansion

Pearl Minksy and her family and friends got to enjoy an afternoon tea event on the grounds of the Seguine Mansion in Prince's Bay. The guests also got the grand tour from owner George Burke.
(Staten Island Advance File Photo)

By PEARL MINSKY ADVANCE CORRESPONDENT

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - PRINCE'S BAY - Is there a better way to spend a lovely afternoon than sitting on the verandah of an 1838 Greek Revival-style home, overlooking a sumptuous garden? You gaze out onto an expansive lawn that slopes down to the Prince's Bay waterfront, as horses prance nearby and peacocks strut. And it all rolls out as you're sipping a cup of tea and enjoying a dainty cucumber sandwich.

You would have a hard time convincing my husband, Hal; Celia Leykin; Celia's daughter, Joyce, and me, otherwise, after we had the opportunity to spend two hours with George Burke, the charismatic owner and restorer of the magnificent Seguine Mansion, a plantation look-alike that thousands of people don't know exists and thousands more can't believe still stands on the South Shore.

Prior to our tea party, which we won at Burke's White Party earlier this year, Burke gave us a lively tour of this lovingly restored mansion. It is almost impossible to appreciate in one visit all the period furnishings, the original paintings, the artifacts, the gleaming cut-glass serving pieces, many of which belonged to Burke's mother and grandmother, and the other museum-quality collectibles, but Burke does his best to provide highly detailed descriptions.

After having purchased the mansion from the Seguine family in 1981, Burke undertook a massive restoration and, upon its completion, turned the house, with all of its furnishings, over to the New York City Historic House Trust in 1989. The home requires plenty of tender, loving care to keep it in good condition, and, for the first time, Burke finds himself in the position of having to fund-raise. As a result, he has organized a board of directors, called the Friends of Seguine Mansion, who will be planning a number of money-making events to benefit the vintage home's upkeep.

Stay tuned for more information about what this new group is planning.